


Contentment

by huffysnuffles



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Character Study, Drabble, Gen, M/M, Marauders' Era, Mindless Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-10
Updated: 2016-04-10
Packaged: 2018-06-01 10:35:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6514621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/huffysnuffles/pseuds/huffysnuffles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James had grown suspicious as his usually loud friend had grown silent.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Contentment

James had watched Sirius for years now. Whether with admiration or concern, James Potter was always watching Sirius Black, always keeping track.

But James had learnt very quickly that with this friend, he needed to keep his ear to the ground.

The one thing James had thought of as consistent amongst his friend’s frequently erratic behaviour and moods, was that Sirius black was loud. He was loud when shouting in joy or ranting about some muggle band he’d just discovered. He was loud when he was angry, crashing, yelling and smashing everything in his sight. He listened to loud music. Threw the loudest hissy fits over the smallest of incidents. Laughed the loudest, whether at his own jokes or another's. And unfortunately James had come know throughout the past year, had the loudest sex.

Sirius liked to be heard. And he was, for reasons right or wrong. He drew attention to himself, desperate to play the protagonist or antagonist in every story and never anything in between.

It was because of this that James knew that something was off kilter with his best friend when he was quiet, James heard nothing but warning bells. At night if he’d stopped snoring. At the Gryffindor table when he’d stopped talking with flecks of bacon and eggs shooting unapologetically out of his mouth. Or even in class when he could no long hear Sirius’s quill tapping consistently with haphazard rhythm against the wooden desk. Most people would find the way sirius was constantly thrumming either fingers, wand or legs, irritating but James took comfort in the noise that all was well and good with his best friend.

This was what drew James to be lurking around the castle lately watching Sirius rather than listening. He and his friend were brothers now, they had felt as such since first year, but over the summer of his sixth the boy had moved into his house and taken up permanent residence in the Potters hearts. So comfortable was the new family of four that throughout day and night both Mr and Mrs Potter could be heard shouting lovingly up the stairs, “Sirius, son, please, please could you be a bit quiet.”

What James saw as he’d followed sirius up to the owlery shouldn’t have surprised him. But it did. Sirius was always hooking up with some girl, had been for years.

But there he sat, the gentle hum of the owls heard clearly in the boys silence, Sirius had one hand at their jaw and the other held tightly in the hand of one Remus Lupin.

-

Over the next week James watched his friends, at first concerned because sirius had barely made a peep, suddenly he was all small sly smiles, downcast eyes and blushing cheeks.

James didn’t recognise this person and his worry only grew, until that night. James walked down to the common room after noticing the boys' beds were empty with curtains left open.

At first sight he didn’t notice them, the room was silent but for the cracking of the ever present fire, when he saw them, thrown across the couch lying somehow both side by side and on top of one another. Remus’s face curled into Sirius’s shoulder, fingers and limbs tangled together without further intent. The boys didn't speak, both with visible smiles unconsciously spread about their faces. Lupin's eyes closed slowly, whilst Sirius gazed softly at the roof above him.

James understood the moment instantly as he watched unable to listen, realising that contentment for Sirius was something to be seen, not heard.


End file.
